Britainology 22: Grand Designs (feat. Alice Caldwell-Kelly)

I think this is truly a pan-westerner phenomenon. It’s like aging, wealthyish couples will shift their completely unrealistic aspirations for their children onto something else they think they can control more easily … one thing I don’t get is how you all know Dallas and Dynasty. Ive heard british postpunk boomers recall these shows in interviews with a surprising amount of fondness but even the younger ones know them

They buy the place in2006 and start in 2011/12

Man that guy really didn’t understand that moomin book

Revisiting this today because it's one of my faves. Nate's line "It looks like where you get coffee in a Tarkovsky movie" is so, so, so good every time.

Funnily enough my wife has gone to the town where the Devon house is being built for approx 20 years. Most of the locals hate the house, the guy and anybody who had anything to do with it. We went on a coast walk last year and the public walkway goes right next to it and the house looked completely miserable. Going back next week and can't wait to see how depressing the "finished product" is

Please do The Archers.

The one Grand Designs episode I can't get out of my head is an earthship from Grand Designs New Zealand, where the people building the house got free labour from backpackers who loved the idea of an eco friendly house design. Either they worked for free or they had to pay for the privilege, I can't remember

My mum always wanted to be an architect, but instead had to settle for 5 kids including me, so she never fulfilled that dream. Naturally, I grew up with all these property programs, of which my mum is still obsessed with to this day. I think the worst epsiode Grand Designs I've encountered was one in West-ish London (can't remember) with a stupidly rich couple who were just the most irritating people alive Especially the mother, who was just the most grating person to be around and always thought she knew best. They had the most stupid nonsense including a fucking light up dance floor (bc more money than god, and a need to show off) and then were baffled that they were struggling to afford it all. If I remember correctly, they also had a fuck up with the foundations and proceeded to just be pricks towards an already annoyed bunch of workmen about the whole thing. Not sure, would have to see it again, but yeah. I hope they're miserable now in their stupid disco house. In many ways, Kevin McCloud is very much the Jeremy Vine of property shows.

love kevin mccloud simple as - australia has syndicated grand designs and we love it here

i got tickets for the live show but won’t be able to make it, lemme know if you’re interested in resale, open to reduced prices

The episode Alice mentioned where Scotland's poshest and most divorced man builds a house in a cemetery did not disappoint

When your birthday mad money rolls in just as they put Alice talking about housing and design in a deeper Patreon tier, it's a sign from the universe.

When 'Euphoria' was mentioned I had the cursed version of a Proustian rush

going on GD and building ctf_2fort instead of having a normal divorce

Holy Shit please do Wife Swap

Turns out the lighthouse should be done by the end of the year, they want to sell it for £10 million. Also the three little pigs thing was great because there was literally a guy on Grand Designs who built his house out of straw

Notts isn't that bad. Could worse, could be Leicester.

the monolithic dome home in Alaska is a landmark. But you may have missed the ultimate Alaska dudes rock house, "Goose Creek Tower," built by a local attorney who I have met. https://www.designboom.com/architecture/attorney-phillip-weidner-goose-creek-tower-log-cabin-tower-alaska-04-08-2016/

What is the episode season and number?